After a relative quiet start at the first two meets, YGTS saw its first wins of the SAAL season at Whyalla with Dylan Hicks (120m Whyalla Gift), Bridgid Connolly (Womens 120m) and Clay Watkins (300m Open) scoring in the hot conditions in SA's steel city.
Despite the hot weather a good crowd turned out for the fourth Whyalla Gift carnival since it returned to the SAAL calendar. Plenty of marquees, tents, food caravans, umbrellas, tables & chairs were available for the spectators' comfort, contributing to the best atmosphere we've seen at Whyalla.
The sprint track was hard and rough in patches but given the harsh Whyalla weather, the track was in the best condition possible.
YGTS was represented by 8 athletes in the gift with 4 advancing to the semis. Unfortunately after a solid 2nd place in his heat, Dale Woodhams was unable to run in the semi final due to hamstring soreness.
Jordan Tronnolone, Troy Welfare, Luca Lussu and Simon Thompson were run out in the heats.
After Dale came out of the second semi, we were left with Watto, Hicksy and Ira to battle for a spot in the final.
Hicksy demonstrated his was in PB shape with a best ever semi final run winning in the good time of 12.45s. Clay was a close up 4th with Ira just behind.
Despite an impressive run from backmarker Alex Saliu who flashed home to finish 2nd, Hicksy was able to prevail to win his first ever major SA Gift and his second overall Gift win. It was his first win beyond 70m whilst with YGTS. A well deserved win!
By comparison to the main race, the women's 120m Gift was a very ordinary standard and thankfully the class athlete of the field, Bridgid Connolly stormed home to give Bridgid her biggest SAAL win in only her third meet under the YGTS banner.
Saving the best for last in terms of genuinely elite athletes on the SAAL circuit, Clay Watkins ran a cracker of a race to whip around the field from the backmark of 6m to win the 300m and his first open sash for a circle event.
Others to make the dais were: 800m state champion & backmarker James Boden - 3rd in the 800m, Canadian import Ira Thomson ran a sizzling 70m novice for a close 2nd and Bridgid Connolly ran 2nd in the women's 300m.
Emma Burckhardt made both women's finals with a 5th in the 120m and 4th in the 300m.
Andrew Camilleri was 4th behind Watkins in the 300m final. AND Reckless Rhett ran a huge heat only to suffer distress in the hot conditions and had to scratch from the 300m final.
Overall 3 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from Whyalla was a big improvement from Port Adelaide (Andrea Sparrow 3rd in the women's 120m) and Flinders (James Boden and Bridgid Connolly 3rd in the open and women's 200m respectively.
Next meet is Mt Gambier on Saturday 28th November.
MEN
100m - 10.73 Clay Watkins
200m - 21.32 Clay Watkins
400m - 46.43 Clay Watkins
800m - 1-49.41 James Boden
4 x 100m 41.78 (Luke Macinnis, Duncan Tippins, Clay Watkins, Michael Nitschke)
WOMEN
100m - 11.66 Alicia Wrench-Doody
200m - 23.62 Alicia Wrench-Doody
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